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The SOTA Management Team launched a special challenge for 2026: a distance-based scoring challenge using CW and SSB on the 2m and 70cm bands. The announcement is here on the SOTA reflector.

The basic idea is to encourage SOTA contacts using CW or SSB on these two bands. Because the scoring is based on distance, you need to enter the location of the other station. When chasing a summit, the location is already known by the SOTA database, but you need to have your location entered into the logging system. Summit-to-Summit contacts are easy to log because both locations are known. The hassle comes up when you are activating a summit and need the chaser’s location. An easy way to share location info is using the 6-character grid locator (e.g., DM78av at my house). Some chasers may know their 6-character locator but you may need to look it up. I usually ask the other operator if they are operating at home so I can look up the grid later. If they are away from home, I ask for enough information to be able to determine their grid.

W0C Activity

I wasn’t sure how many folks would pursue this challenge here in Colorado, but we are off to a good start. Here’s the current activator summary:

K0JJW and I have activated 5 times for the challenge, and have been pleasantly surprised with the number of chasers who get on, primarily using 2m SSB. It seems that some hams have 2m SSB capability, but don’t have many opportunities to use it. So they come out to play!

There are a few things to be aware of when operating these bands and modes:

Antenna Polarization

The first thing we ran into was the need to make sure both stations have the same antenna polarization. Common practice on VHF/UHF is to use vertical polarization for FM (and similar modes), but use horizontal polarization for CW/SSB and other weak-signal modes. The serious stations on CW/SSB will tend to have large Yagi antennas, horizontally polarized. But we soon found that many of the chasers at home were using vertical antennas on CW/SSB, because that’s what they have set up. No problem, on the summit we just flipped our handheld Yagi antenna to be vertical. The point is that antenna polarization should be taken into account, else you can experience a substantial signal loss.

Tuning in SSB

Another issue that surfaced is the need to do more precise tuning when using SSB. For FM, you can just dial in 146.52 or whatever and call it good. If there is a small frequency difference between stations, it does not matter. On SSB, a few hundred Hertz of frequency difference (which is common) causes the familiar “Donald Duck” effect, so you need to tune more carefully.

Most people know that the 2m SSB calling frequency is 144.200 MHz, so they start there. But if you hear an activator on 144.2001, you should tune to match their frequency when you call them. Don’t just sit on 144.200 and think “the other station is off frequency.”

Calling Frequency

Some sources list 144.100 or even 144.060 as the 2m CW calling frequency. These frequencies can be used, but common practice in Colorado is to just call CW or SSB on 144.200 MHz. That way, people monitoring the band for activity can find it more easily. Same thing with 432.100 MHz on the 70 cm band. Clearly, posting spots on SOTAwatch can really help with making CW & SSB contacts.

When activity picks up, the calling frequency can get busy. This is why most radios have a big knob on the front of the radio that allows you to tune up or down. Standard practice is to move up 5 or 10 kHz, as needed. If you are operating on the calling frequency for a long period of time, you should not be surprised if other people show up on frequency.  It works best if everyone cooperates, shares the frequency, and moves to adjacent frequencies when possible. This is similar to how 146.52 MHz can get busy on FM, so people shift to using 146.58 MHz to spread things out.

Quansheng UV-K5

Various people have hacked the Quansheng UV-K5, a dualband HT, to operate using CW and SSB. The modification consists of loading new firmware and, in some cases, doing a simple hardware modification. This video provides an overview of how this works. Many people are having fun modifying this HT, and it is an inexpensive way to get up and running on CW/SSB.

So come on out and give CW/SSB a try on VHF/UHF.

73 Bob K0NR

Getting Started on 2m SSB

The post SOTA Challenge: CW/SSB on 2m & 70cm appeared first on The KØNR Radio Site.

Here’s an update on the most activated SOTA summits in Colorado. See my previous report here. Mount Herman (W0C/FR-063) still leads the pack by a wide margin, with many activations by Steve/WG0AT.

Genesee Mountain has passed up Pikes Peak to take second place in the running. Genessee is in a park just outside of greater Denver and is easy to access. I notice many out-of-town SOTA enthusiasts going up there to get on the air and make some contacts. Pikes Peak is a 14er but has a road to the top, and most of those activations are probably aided by a vehicle. Chief Mountain is in fourth place. Mount Blue Sky (formerly Mount Evans) is also a 14er with a road to the top. However, it dropped off the list, due to the reduced access caused by recent road construction in the area.

Thorodin Mountain comes in at number five and seems to be gaining in popularity, with Carey/KX0R as a frequent activator.

The summit formerly known as Squaw Mountain, now Mestaa’ehehe Mountain (W0C/PR-082), comes in at sixth place. There is a gated road to the top, so most activators hike that road.

Most of these summits are in the Front Range section of W0C, close to the major cities, which aids their popularity. The other two are listed in the Sawatch and Park Ranges, but they are also not far from the large urban areas.

First in North America

In North America, Mount Herman is second only to Mount Davidson (W6/NC-423), which currently has 846 activations, many of them by Ellliot/K6EL. Davidson is a small 1-point summit in the middle of San Francisco, so it is easily accessible to a large population. This video by W6DFM provides a tour of that summit. Another notable summit is Vollmer Peak (W6/NC-298), an easy-to-access peak with 551 activations.

So that’s your update on SOTA activations in Colorado.

73 Bob K0NR

Most Active SOTA Summits in Colorado

The post Most Active SOTA Summits in Colorado -Nov 2025 appeared first on The KØNR Radio Site.

When I get asked why I only use VHF/UHF frequencies for my Summits On The Air (SOTA) activations, I usually reply with:

Height Above Average Terrain

More specifically, I mean that using VHF for SOTA is fun because Height Above Average Terrain (HAAT) has a dramatic effect on the propagation of my radio signal.

HAAT has a specific definition, found in the FCC regulations. HAAT basically describes the height of a transmitter relative to the surrounding terrain in all directions at distances of 3 to 16 km. This HAAT calculator tool provides the HAAT of a site based on its latitude and longitude. Note that the FCC definition of HAAT compares against the terrain relatively close to the transmitter, 16 km (10 miles). For SOTA purposes, we are more concerned with distances further away.

In a recent presentation on mountaintop VHF operating (Hamcon Colorado), I provided these two contrasting examples to drive home the importance of HAAT.

Punkin Center

Punkin Center is a small town located on the eastern plains of Colorado. The elevation is 5364 feet, and its HAAT is roughly zero feet. That is, the terrain is flat. Punkin Center is a fine place to be, but it is not a very good VHF location. The radio range using a 5-watt VHF handheld radio is about 4 miles.

Pikes Peak

Compare this to America’s Mountain, Pikes Peak, which has an elevation of 14,115 feet and a HAAT of 4,445 feet. That is, it rises more than 4,000 feet above the surrounding terrain. (The height advantage is even more pronounced when looking further east towards Kansas, where the highest elevation is ~4,000 feet.) Based on my experience operating from there, the VHF handheld range is over 100 miles.

The improved HAAT of Pikes Peak provides a VHF radio range that is 25 times better than Punkin Center. Again, nothing wrong with Punkin Center, but if I want to make VHF contacts, I’ll choose Pikes Peak.

Let’s compare this to using the High Frequency (HF) bands. The normal propagation mode on HF is skywave propagation via the F layer, which supports radio propagation across North America and around the world (depending on frequency, time of day, solar conditions, blah blah blah). The radio signal refracts off the ionosphere and can go very long distances. From Pikes Peak, I can work the world. From Punkin Center, I can work the world. Not much difference, except the views from Pikes are generally better, and the oxygen is less plentiful.

So when I hike up a mountain, I am excited to get out the VHF gear and see what contacts I can make due to the improved HAAT. I don’t get as excited about working HF, because I can do that from home…or Punkin Center, or other places, with similar results.

Other SOTA activators see it differently, and that is just fine. (VHF contacts represent only ~20% of all SOTA contacts.) There are many ways to enjoy SOTA and ham radio. Just make sure you have fun messing around with radios.

73 Bob K0NR

The post Height Above Average Terrain appeared first on The KØNR Radio Site.

When I get asked why I only use VHF/UHF frequencies for my Summits On The Air (SOTA) activations, I usually reply with:

Height Above Average Terrain

More specifically, I mean that using VHF for SOTA is fun because Height Above Average Terrain (HAAT) has a dramatic effect on the propagation of my radio signal.

HAAT has a specific definition, found in the FCC regulations. HAAT basically describes the height of a transmitter relative to the surrounding terrain in all directions at distances of 3 to 16 km. This HAAT calculator tool provides the HAAT of a site based on its latitude and longitude. Note that the FCC definition of HAAT compares against the terrain relatively close to the transmitter, 16 km (10 miles). For SOTA purposes, we are more concerned with distances further away.

In a recent presentation on mountaintop VHF operating (Hamcon Colorado), I provided these two contrasting examples to drive home the importance of HAAT.

Punkin Center

Punkin Center is a small town located on the eastern plains of Colorado. The elevation is 5364 feet, and its HAAT is roughly zero feet. That is, the terrain is flat. Punkin Center is a fine place to be, but it is not a very good VHF location. The radio range using a 5-watt VHF handheld radio is about 4 miles.

Pikes Peak

Compare this to America’s Mountain, Pikes Peak, which has an elevation of 14,115 feet and a HAAT of 4,445 feet. That is, it rises more than 4,000 feet above the surrounding terrain. (The height advantage is even more pronounced when looking further east towards Kansas, where the highest elevation is ~4,000 feet.) Based on my experience operating from there, the VHF handheld range is over 100 miles.

The improved HAAT of Pikes Peak provides a VHF radio range that is 25 times better than Punkin Center. Again, nothing wrong with Punkin Center, but if I want to make VHF contacts, I’ll choose Pikes Peak.

Let’s compare this to using the High Frequency (HF) bands. The normal propagation mode on HF is skywave propagation via the F layer, which supports radio propagation across North America and around the world (depending on frequency, time of day, solar conditions, blah blah blah). The radio signal refracts off the ionosphere and can go very long distances. From Pikes Peak, I can work the world. From Punkin Center, I can work the world. Not much difference, except the views from Pikes are generally better, and the oxygen is less plentiful.

So when I hike up a mountain, I am excited to get out the VHF gear and see what contacts I can make due to the improved HAAT. I don’t get as excited about working HF, because I can do that from home…or Punkin Center, or other places, with similar results.

Other SOTA activators see it differently, and that is just fine. (VHF contacts represent only ~20% of all SOTA contacts.) There are many ways to enjoy SOTA and ham radio. Just make sure you have fun messing around with radios.

73 Bob K0NR

The post Height Above Average Terrain appeared first on The KØNR Radio Site.

Joyce/K0JJW and I did a SOTA activation with Mike/KE0PWR on Aspen Ridge (W0C/SP-084). It turns out that Mike’s wife, Laurel, has a YouTube channel, so she shot some video of our adventure. Keep in mind that her channel is not focused on ham radio, but has a more general audience.

Some time later, Mike did a SOTA activation on his own with Laurel capturing the story via video. This was on Wander Ridge (W0C/SP-042), one of my favorite summits near the Continental Divide Trail. Yes, it was windy on top. I made a cameo appearance via 2m FM. Short Buena Viking plug at the end (one of my favorite local restaurants).

And finally, here is another activation with Mike on South Peak (W0C/SR-111), near Weston Pass. In this episode, Mike demonstrates how the signal disappears if you lay the Yagi antenna on the rocks. I make another guest appearance via 2m FM.

Laurel plugs the PBJ Bobo’s, which are now my favorite hiking snack. (I am not addicted to these things. I can stop eating them anytime I want.)

Great job, Mike and Laurel!

73 Bob K0NR

The post Laurel Makes SOTA Videos appeared first on The KØNR Radio Site.

The Tri-Lakes Monument Radio Association is offering an amateur radio license class that includes the Technician (beginner) license material and the General license material. You can pursue Technician, General, or both!

Starts March 1st

• Earn or upgrade your FCC Amateur Radio License.
Earn the FCC Technician license or upgrade to the FCC General license.
• Convenient online learning with personal assistance and demos.
• Learn to operate ham radio for emergency communications.
• Learn to use the many VHF/UHF FM radio repeaters in Colorado.
• License exam session included, all learning materials included.

Instruction:

• A 20-hour, paced course of study
• Initial session equipment demonstrations
• Student self-study with the Ham Radio School Technician or General License Course, includes eBook readings, Video instruction, Focused reviews and quizzes, Optional in-depth learning media, Practice exams
• One-on-one personalized support from a knowledgeable and experienced ham radio operator
• Regular review sessions for Q&A, extra help

Schedule:

• Introductory Session, In Person  Sat March 1, 1-4 pm Woodmoor Barn, Monument
• Zoom Instructional Review Sessions: Thursdays 7 to 8 pm
• FCC License Examination Sat March 29, 10:30 am Monument Library
• Get On the Air Session, In Person  Sat April 5, 1-4 pm Woodmoor Barn, Monument

Class registration fee:  $50 Technician or General  ($40 under age 18)
Register for Technician
Register for General

For questions, contact Bob Witte KØNR:  b[email protected]
Sponsored by the Tri-Lakes Monument Radio Association

The post Ham Radio License Class – Monument CO appeared first on The KØNR Radio Site.

Mark your calendars…
Flyer in PDF format
HamCon Colorado website

The post HamCon Colorado 2025 appeared first on The KØNR Radio Site.